Chapter 17: Together
With that, Ruby turned and left the study, the heavy feeling in her chest only growing as she walked down the hallway.
She quickly glanced back at the study door before heading toward the front door. The lie she had just told Stefan hung in the air, a weight she couldn’t shake. How long could she keep pretending? How much longer could she wear this mask before everything collapsed around her?
As she walked to the door, the weight on her shoulders didn’t feel as heavy, not for a moment. Rayna’s presence in Zeden might just be the distraction Ruby needed — a brief reprieve from the tension that had been building up ever since she’d taken on Ivy’s identity.
She had to admit, though, a small part of her wondered if Stefan had suspected anything — if the questions he asked were anything more than casual curiosity. But she pushed the thought aside for now. Tonight was not about Stefan. It was about a friend, and Ruby needed that normalcy more than anything.
She stepped out the door, feeling the cool air of the evening as she headed to her car. The evening, with its dinner plans and complicated emotions, still awaited her, but for now, she had a few hours to escape, to breathe, and to pretend that everything was normal.
As she drove away, her mind still raced with thoughts of the threats, the blackmail, and the lies she was living, but at least for a few hours, she would be someone else. With Rayna, she could be herself again. She could forget about the chaos — even if just for a little while.
Ruby pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, her nerves a tangled mess of anticipation and relief. She had texted Rayna the details of where to meet, and now she was finally here, ready for the reunion she hadn’t realized she’d needed so badly.
She parked the car and made her way through the lobby, her heart racing with the thought of seeing her best friend again. It felt like forever since they had last spoken in person, and yet the connection was still so strong. The weight of everything she was hiding seemed a little lighter when she thought of Rayna — someone who had always been there for her, no questions asked.
She reached the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The doors slid open and Ruby stepped inside, taking a deep breath as the elevator hummed upwards. She was almost there.
When she reached the door to Rayna’s room, Ruby’s hand hovered over the handle for just a moment, collecting herself before she knocked softly.